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Chockstone Forum - Gear Lust / Lost & Found

Rave About Your Rack Please do not post retail SPAM.

Author
A new amazing cam is coming soon
nutstory
12-May-2022
4:15:32 AM
Recently while researching new patents for climbing protections on the internet I came across an innovative spring loaded camming device (Patent WO2021019512A1). I immediately pushed my research further and discovered a website for the Alternative Current Angel:
https://www.alternativecurrent.it/


IdratherbeclimbingM9
12-May-2022
8:44:56 AM
Thanks for bringing this to our attention nutstory. It’s certainly an amazing bit of gear and looks to be usable in a huge variety of situations from passive to active placements.

I checked all of their videos in detail and all but one of my mind questions about this new gear were addressed …

They imply that this bit of gear effectively does the job of five normal slcds and in the process saves over half a kg of weight on the rack, but, to my mind it is only used once! When in a run-out situation I’d like the additional security of having four more pieces of protection to lessen the long-fall factor as I climb higher!
I’m guessing a few more of these cams addresses that issue, but at the cost of greater weight than what they are replacing.
;-)

Certainly a couple on the rack as keepers for the desperate situations would make life easier at those times.

E. Wells
12-May-2022
11:17:07 AM
Aside from the above point, i am not so sure about the chord over edges. A bit like a few link cams they might be great for exploratory canyoning or something.
One Day Hero
12-May-2022
5:08:12 PM
I like that people still fiddle round with mechanical stuff in their shed, trying to come up with game changing climbing gear. However, this contraption is not going to fly.

Which existing problem is this design solving? Do I need more range on my cams? I wouldn't turn it down if it came for free, but with added weight and cost and loss of other functionality? Forget about it. Just look how much material is in there, and the number of machining and assembly steps. $300 minimum if they ever get it into production.

I don't even own Link Cams because they only make sense in one scenario (you have to admit that showing up to Indian Creek with 15 yellow link cams, a few blues and greys, and nothing else would make you feel like a boss).

On the other hand, Totems are reasonably comparable to regular cams in price and weight, and just better. When that patent runs out in a decade or so there will be Wild Country and Black Diamond Totem copies, I would bet money on it.


phillipivan
12-May-2022
6:46:41 PM
The genius of the totem cam is turning ‘kinda shitty’ cam placements into ‘pretty alright’ placements. In the process it made the speciality cams that almost no one ever bothers to carry (like offsets) completely redundant.

These look so optimised for huge range, I’m sure they give up a lot in exchange.
One Day Hero
12-May-2022
9:27:48 PM
The real genius of Totems is that the designer managed to beat the grip/range compromise which other designers had accepted as inescapable for the previous 40 years, and chose to cash that advantage on grip rather than range.

The miraculous bit is that the wild design which resulted doesn't seem to hinder any aspect of the cams performance (and actually makes some things unexpectedly better). I can't believe that it's all down to carefully ironing out the design. There was some luck involved too, surely

Duang Daunk
13-May-2022
6:47:50 AM
They’re trying to be the Ducati of the climbing world with slick design, smooth lines and polished presentation, but might end up as the ducks of it instead because photographing their trophy lying on a bit of granite in snow won’t stop all those moving parts freezing up in the big hills. Can’t imagine operating the fiddle triggers too easily with gloves on either.

Loved the feigned frustration of not picking the right cam size for placements then looking cool as, wearing his Henry Barber cap, while reracking it two step fashion, on his harness. See this! Then again from another angle!!

Also their granite climbing wall that they demo on, is too short, too vertical and too juggy.
Where’s what’s his name again when we need an expert opinion ’bout that? And what about the accompanying soundtrack?

Yeah, yeah, play the ball not the man.
It’s new, it’s shiny. I want one.
dan_b
13-May-2022
3:51:02 PM
I thought the euro solution to a marginal placement - any placement really, was a bolt. It’ll never fly.

phillipivan
17-May-2022
7:43:10 PM
Not just marginal. If the guide says you need cams from 0.4 to 2; you can bet they have bolted next to 3 sized cracks.

Duang Daunk
18-May-2022
5:59:31 AM
On 17-May-2022 phillipivan wrote:
>Not just marginal. If the guide says you need cams from 0.4 to 2; you can
>bet they have bolted next to 3 sized cracks.

Ah so that’s why they claiming this new sparkler replaces 5 cams. It’s for emergency use for the spots that they missed when bolting?

gordoste
18-May-2022
1:09:09 PM
On 18-May-2022 Duang Daunk wrote:
>On 17-May-2022 phillipivan wrote:
>>Not just marginal. If the guide says you need cams from 0.4 to 2; you
>can
>>bet they have bolted next to 3 sized cracks.
>
>Ah so that’s why they claiming this new sparkler replaces 5 cams. It’s
>for emergency use for the spots that they missed when bolting?

If you mean "emergency use" (i,e. when you're scared) because the first ascensionist "missed a spot" (i.e. ran it out too much), then yes.

Duang Daunk
19-May-2022
3:03:40 PM
On 18-May-2022 gordoste wrote:
>If you mean "emergency use" (i,e. when you're scared) because the first
>ascensionist "missed a spot" (i.e. ran it out too much), then yes.

Maybe ran out of battery power or bolts or glue, but not getting scared, because it’s hard to do that on a 2 metre grid bolts pattern runout, The new sparkler means that they won’t have to do a 4 m runout if they missed an opportunity to bolt a crack due to above reasons.
I don’t think Henry Barber would be impressed by the euro bolting ethics.
I know I’m not and I don’t even have a flat cap!
rightarmbad
24-May-2022
6:02:27 PM
Can just imagine placing that at shoulder height and then coming up with some contortionist move to get past the bloody thing.
Good belay cam, which is all a Linkcam is good for too.
matteovianini
7-Jun-2022
6:58:58 PM
Hi everyone, I apologize if I interfere in your discussion.

I am Matteo vianini, I am the designer and producer of Angel, I have always been a passionate mountaineer and a lover of climbing (I am not strong though!).

I am very happy and excited to see that someone is talking about my idea ... even very far from Italy ... and would also like to try it.

it is a new concept of friend and I realize that can arouse many doubts and questions. I wanted to let you know that I’m here! I can answer any questions.
in the USA are already using it for a few weeks and if you want to know what they think, you can see this blog:

https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/122371041/what-the-heck-cam-is-this?page=3

it is necessary to try it because many doubts are clarified once it is tried for the first time. so if you want to try it I can offer you a coupon with a discount of 50euro (for a maximum of 15 pieces). obviously if you take more than one together, you can lower the shipping costs.
I need people to give me an honest opinion, it would be a great opportunity for us.

I hope I have not disturbed, I am not familiar with the Forums and communication.

Sorry again a lot and sorry for my English maybe not too correct!

matteo vianini
Karl Bromelow
13-Jun-2022
4:58:02 PM
I'm not convinced these are a winner, but on the subject of cord over edges, that was how we used to use rigid stem friends in horizontal placements. We tied cord through lightening holes near the cam end of the stem. It's an old idea.

There are 15 messages in this topic.

 

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